Facts about

Greece is the sunniest place in Europe. Greece has 250 sunny days per year or 3000 hours of sunshine a year, which makes it one of the sunniest countries in Europe.

The Greeks are the most sexually active nation in the world according to many types of research done by the company producing condoms.

Did you know that there is no place in Greece that is more than 85 miles (137 kilometers) away from the sea?

The nursing homes are rare in Greece in contrast to most of the world countries, most older people live with their families until they die.

Greece was the first country that achieved victory over the Axis forces in the Second World war.

Greece holds the record for Olympic medals in proportion to the population of a country. Greece won a medal for every 52 900 people.

When Solon gave the Athenian citizens the right to vote, he established the modern democracy.

One of the first Cookbook was written by a Greek chef Arhestratus in the 5th century BC and called it “Gastronomy” – here’s where it comes from this word!

The ancient Greek thinkers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato opened the way for modern Western thought by focusing on evidence and logic.

The Greek myths continue to influence discussions and our art. It is also evident the similarity of today’s superheroes and Greek mythical hero.

Long before the NASA, the ancient Greeks had made important discoveries about the Earth. Anaxagoras had understood the cause of the eclipse and Aristarchus was the first to propose the fixed position of the sun.

Greece is the third country in the world olive production. The olive cultivation began in our places of antiquity.

Greek merchant fleet reaches 70% of all European ships. It is the largest in the world as well.

Greek doctor, Georgios Papanikolaou, invented the Papanicolaou stain, thus saving millions of women around the world. He wasn’t awarded by a Nobel Prize committee that year.

80% of the country’s territory is mountainous. The country has neither a navigable river, because of this particular geomorphology.

Gyros is a traditional Greek dish of meat roasted on a vertical spit. It usually serves as a sandwich, with tomato, onions, tzatziki salad or sour cream, wrapped in special bread and pie.

The country’s coastline is the tenth longest in the world.

Greece has 63 folk dances. Greeks love to play and dance.

Yo-Yo’s second oldest toy in the world. It was 3000 years ago in ancient Greece.

It is also the first country in the world to trade… sponges.

Greek currency, the drachma, as of the year 2002, was used for 2650 years. It is also the oldest currency in Europe. In 2002, drachma was replaced by the euro.

Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine was among the first people who studied the human body and the medical profession was under its influence.

On average, more than 20 million tourists arrive each year in Greece. This means that visitors outnumber the local population of about 10 million.

Santa Claus is a word of Greek origin. St. Nicholas was a rich Greek who gave his money to the poor.

Approximately 100,000 birds from northern Europe and Asia, wintering in our area.

The main religious holidays in Greece are Easter and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many Greeks for these holidays go back to their native places to celebrate it with roast lamb and good wine.

The first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C. The Greek tradition of athletic nudity (gymnos) was introduced in 720 BC by the Spartans and this was adopted early in the Olympics as well.

Approximately 7% of all the marble produced in the world comes from Greece. The domestic law requires 75% of the ships’ crew have Greek nationality.

Feta is a brined curd white cheese made from sheep’s milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. Feta is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads (e.g. the Greek salad) and pastries.The average consumption of cheese per capita is the highest in the world.

Zeus was the supreme god in Greek mythology, the leader of gods and men, as well as the god of the sky and thunder, who lives on Mount Olympus.

The ancient Greek thinkers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato opened the way for modern Western thought by focusing on evidence and logic. The English word «philosophy» means love of wisdom comes from the Greek language.

The Greeks sacrificed hundreds of bulls to Zeus during each Olympics.

The slaves in ancient Greece accounted for 40-80% of the population in cities-states. They were mainly prisoners of war, abandoned children or children of slaves.

Anthem of Greece contains 158 verses. None of the citizens are able to remember all the verses.

Anthem of Greece contains 158 verses. None of the citizens are able to remember all the verses.

Life expectancy in ancient Greece reached the 36 years for women and 45 years for men. Of the children who were born, only half were able to live and after the stage of infancy. Today, life expectancy has reached 77 and 82 years for Greek men and women, respectively, which places us in the top 26 countries with the highest life expectancy in the world.